In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

1. Katthavahana - A king. A previous birth of Bavari. Katthavahana had been a very clever carpenter of Benares, having under him sixteen thousand and sixteen assistants. They paid periodical visits to the Himalaya forests, felled trees, and having prepared the timber which was suitable for building purposes, brought it down the Ganges and erected houses for the king and for the people.

Growing tired of this work, these carpenters made flying machines of light wood, and going northwards from Benares to Himava, established by conquest a kingdom, the chief carpenter becoming the king. He came to be called Katthavahana, the capital was named Katthavahananagara and the country Katthavahanarattha. The king was righteous and the people very happy and the country prospered greatly. Later Katthavahana and the king of Benares became sincere friends, and free trade, exempt from all taxes, was established between the two countries. The kings sent each other very costly and magnificent gifts.

Once Katthavahana sent to the king of Benares eight priceless rugs in eight caskets of lacquered ivory, each rug being sixteen cubits long and eight cubits wide and of unsurpassed splendour. The Benares king, wondering how he could adequately return the courtesy, decided to let his friend learn the great news of the appearance in the world of the Buddha (Kassapa), the Dhamma and the Sangha. This message was written on a gold leaf and the leaf enclosed in many caskets, one inside the other, the innermost casket being made of the seven kinds of jewels and the outermost of costly wood. The caskets were placed on a splendid palanquin and sent on the back of a royal elephant, accompanied by all the insignia of royalty. All along the route the honours due to a king were paid to the casket, and Katthavahana himself escorted the elephant from the frontiers of his kingdom to the capital. When Katthavahana discovered the message, he was overjoyed, and sent his nephew with sixteen of his ministers and sixteen thousand followers to investigate the matter and convey his greetings to the Buddha.

The envoys arrived at Benares only after the Buddhas death, but hearing from the Buddhas disciples of the Doctrine he had proclaimed to the world, the ministers and their followers entered the Order, while Katthavahanas nephew was sent back to report the news to the king, taking with him the Buddhas water pot, a branch of the Bodhi tree and a monk versed in the Doctrine. The king, having learnt the Doctrine, engaged in various works of piety till his death, after which he was born among the Kamavacara devas. SnA.ii.675ff

2. Katthavahana - King of Benares. He was the Bodhisatta, son of Brahmadatta, king of Benares, and of a faggot gatherer, whom the king met in a grove, singing as she picked up the sticks. His story is related in the Katthahari Jataka.

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Kaṭṭhavāhana refers to: riding on a faggot J. I, 136.

Note: kaṭṭhavāhana is a Pali compound consisting of the words kaṭṭha and vāhana.

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Kattha, Vahana.

Starts with: Katthavahananagara.

Full-text: Katthavahananagara, Katthahari Jataka, Mogharaja.

Relevant text

Search found 3 books and stories containing Katthavahana, Kaṭṭhavāhana, Kattha-vahana, Kaṭṭha-vāhana; (plurals include: Katthavahanas, Kaṭṭhavāhanas, vahanas, vāhanas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Great Chronicle of Buddhas (by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw)

Biography (41): Mogharāja Mahāthera < [Chapter 43 - Forty-one Arahat-Mahatheras and their Respective Etadagga titles]

Part 2 - The Story of Viṭaṭūbha (son of King Pasenadi and Vāsabhakhattiyā) < [Chapter 38 - Buddha’s Brahmin Parents in His Previous Existence]

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The Jataka tales [English], Volume 1-6 (by Robert Chalmers)

Jataka 7: Kaṭṭhahāri-jātaka < [Book I - Ekanipāta]

Index of Proper Names

Jataka 465: Bhadda-Sāla-jātaka < [Volume 4]

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Apadana commentary (Atthakatha) (by U Lu Pe Win)

Commentary on Biography of the thera Mogharāja < [Chapter 4 - Kuṇḍadhānavagga (section on Kuṇḍadhāna)]

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